(RNN) – Hans Asperger who pioneered autism research for the neurological condition which bares his name, aided a Nazi extermination program, according to a recent study.
The paper published by the BioMed Central, found that the Austrian doctor assisted the Third Reich during WWII in a child euthanasia program which selected children with mental deficiencies as "unworthy to live."
Asperger sent children to the Am Spiegelgrund clinic where nearly 800 children were killed under the child euthanasia program from 1940 to 1945.
Asperger also joined a number of Nazi affiliated organizations and throughout his work, spread the race-cleansing gospel with also included force sterilizations.
“Asperger managed to accommodate himself to the Nazi regime and was rewarded for his affirmations of loyalty with career opportunities,” according to the report.
Past papers made no reference to the historical context of Aspergers’ work.
“The narrative of Asperger as a principled opponent of National Socialism and a courageous defender of his patients against Nazi ‘euthanasia’ and other race hygiene measures does not hold up in the face of the historical evidence,” according to researchers. “What emerges is a much more problematic role played by this pioneer of autism research. Future use of the eponym should reflect the troubling context of its origins in Nazi-era Vienna.”
Asperger joins Dr. James Madison Sims, whose medical legacy came under fire for performing on enslaved women.
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